Mighty Fed IV

Honestly, there are only two major sports in this world that can make me, an "ADAH" look-alike kid glued to the TV for hours and they are none other than FOOTBALL and TENNIS.

As usual, the past two weeks were packed with tennis action. Everyday at work, I will pull on my earphones to listen to the live radio on australianopen.com and after work, I will rush home to watch the evening games. :))

A year ago at the Australian Open, we witnessed Federer's disappointment, being pushed to the edge of the cliff by Nadal who was at his peak. A year later, things took the turn at the corner. Nadal is plagued with one of the most destructible and undesirable injury any sportsman can face, knee tendinitis - inflammation of the knee tendon - and his career is put at stake. However, Federer had a bad start to 2009 but ended it with achievements, glory, and joy. Bagging two Grand Slams back to back, Roland Garros his first and Wimbledon his sixth, and his wife giving birth to a pair of twin daughters, it is indeed triple bliss.

I am really glad that streak of luck was brought forward to 2010. He started the year by bagging the Australian Championships for the fourth time in his career, taking his Grand Slam tally to an amazing 16, 2 ahead of all-time champion Pete Sampras. And judging at his streak of luck and consistency during play, it doesn't seem like his streak is gonna bottom out any time soon. :))

He cruised through the Australian Open having only dropped two sets and his play was once again flawless, revealing the true champion that he is and always will be. I do not deny that Murray accumulated better statistics in the past two weeks. Having only dropped one set in the entire run-up to the finals to Cilic and beating Nadal two sets and eventually Nadal had to retire when the scoreline was 3-0 in favour of Murray were fantastic and signs of a champion emerging. However, he was still one class below the Mighty Federer.

Murray ran after every ball possible in the three sets, defended tirelessly, played a few superb backhands down the line, and even broke Federer's serve several times in the game but he just could not gain control of the match. Federer was the dominating in an apparent manner throughout the match. Vijay and Alan both commented that both players have a similar style of play, with the beautiful forehand crosscourt shots and backhand slices being timed to perfection. So, if there is anyone that can beat Federer, it has to be someone of his calibre or at least style of play. Nonetheless, I hold opposition views. Roger is the Master of his style of play and no one can challenge him hitherto. Nadal is unique because he is a counterpuncher and plays a completely different style of tennis from Federer. Nadal simply runs after every ball possible and his style of tennis requires him to work out every single organ, muscle, tissue, and cell of his body. This is also why injuries are knocking on his door at only 24. But I do not deny Nadal does have the qualities to be a true champion.

Murray has the burden of the expectations of the whole nation, the Great Britain on him, and also his own desire to win his first Grand Slam. However, lady luck is not shining on him, is she? Like what he said on stage, "I can cry like Roger (did in the 2009 Australian Open), it's a shame I can't play like him." I really wish that Murray can get his first Grand Slam title soon because he is one of the few young stars that I truly admire, not even Djokovic, Nadal, or Del Potro can hold a candle to him, to me. I wish him better luck in the next few Grand Slams (provided Federer decides to retire?)

But for now, let's all hail Federer for his achievements. He is still my favourite player of all times. To be able to move around the court with such ease, speed, agility, and gracefulness truly deserves my greatest respect and sincerest admiration. I do not care how others compare him with Nadal, like what they do between Ronaldo and Messi, and that until he beats Nadal in one Grand Slam final to finally settle their scores, he is still not exactly a champion of Roland Garros. Nadal was at his peak when he won the Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles back to back in 2008, and the Australian Open in 2009, where he beated Federer in all three of the Grand Slams Finals. He was this promising 23 year old kid who is crowned to achieve big things in his tennis career and life, to dominate on clay and eventually becoming the King of Clay at this young age. In contrary, Federer was facing some kind of psychological illness and was going through rock bottom of his career when everyone was questioning his ability to compete at the top level, beat Pete Sampras's Grand Slam record, and also be part of the elite team that won all 4 Grand Slams. So it isn't exactly fair to Federer. I would really love to see the two battling out at a Grand Slam again soon, probably the Roland Garros this year, and to see Federer beating Nadal hands down and shut the mouths of the nosey parkers and critics.

For me, he is the reason why I think tennis is such an elegant sport, why I watch tennis, why I enjoy tennis, why I love tennis, why I play tennis, and why I will never give up tennis.

"A crown for every achievement."

"An angel that kills."

"Having the precision of a surgeon."

And these labels will only continue to flow. :)

Fabulous Federer, King Federer, and now MIGHTY FEDERER! :))

He is King Federer, born to be a Champion.

WE LOVE FEDERER! :))

If only I were.......

At times I really wonder......

If only I were a professional sports player.....

I guess I am someone who is very inclined towards freedom, regardless of freedom of speech, freedom of rights, freedom of diet, blah blah blah... In return, you get freedom to do what you love most professionally. On top of that, I adore the power and responsibility that accompany the profession of a professional sports player.!

Just look at people like Roger Federer and Cristiano Ronaldo. They are doing so much for the world, for their country, for their families, for Africa, for the poor, for the under-privileged, etc. These are things that I would really like to accomplish in life but I guess it ain't easy and hitherto, I am not empowered to do these things yet or at least heading in that direction.

Cristiano can bring much pride and glory to his country and family, a comfortable life for his family, much entertainment to the soccer fanatics worldwide, much inspiration to kids who aspire to be as good a soccer player as him, much happiness to the underprivileged kids whenever he visits them, much revenue and sales to the various products he endorses, much donations and money to help the poor and Africa, and most importantly, much sense of satisfaction for himself.

Likewise, Federer does the same. He has done so much for the tennis scene, creating milestones after milestones, helping the victims in Haiti, encouraging the many out there to pick up tennis as a sport, doing his country and parents proud, blah blah blah.

If I were to become a professional sports player, YES I will lose all of the freedom which I currently enjoy. Furthermore, I am someone who lacks discipline. Even basic stuff like getting my hair properly dyed for school is more trying than scoring an A for an examination. However, I get empowered to do the many things that I have listed above. The trade-offs are only fair and just. Nothing beats being able to play the one and only sport which is the love of your life. At least for me, someone who sees sports as one's life's work.

It is not as though I will not be able to do these things unless I become a professional sports person. However, being a sports person is just so COOL and EXTRAORDINARY. Your capacity to do something is entirely different from a normal OL or a CFO or even a CEO. I don't exactly enjoy sitting in the office bossing people around. It sounds extremely boring to me at least.

Perhaps the high utility I attach to sports could be due to my failure to fulfill my dream of playing a sports competitively for at least once in my life. Somehow they always end up in flames.

And so what if I am an EDUCATOR of LIFE and MORALS and ECONOMICS now? I feel so inadequate in terms of completing the tasks that have been on my checklist since time immemorial, and I see no light at the end of the tunnel that will enable me to successfully cross out the various items. I need to find the strength to convince myself to continue this journey of life.

Fair share of nonsense.

Words have no meaning, you put meaning into them.

I guess consent was all that I need rather than some sarcastic remarks or perhaps the way you put it, "Advice."

Perhaps I am a bit lost as to what I really want as well.

But the talk was really a timely reminder of who and what I am, and what I expect of myself.

I have had my fair share of fun and it's now time to be back to the values that mould me.

And when I read this, somehow I have a feeling I was the culprit of all these but at the same time I believe the person who typed this is unqualified to say something like this:

since time immemorial i've always detested those pple who were full of themselves, always cutting into other pple sentences as if it din matter, who felt their point of view triumphed over others.

those people who appeared to be nice to certain chosen people and indifferent or nasty to most others. and whom which it was useless arguing with cos they would only pretend to be hearing and understanding your point of view.

Cause he is simply describing himself.!

Sometimes I hate myself for being so evil and mean.

Courses and Work

Full-time Teacher, Part-time Owl.

I guess I have pretty much gotten used to waking up early in the morning and surprises await me every morning when I walk to the kitchen window. Instead, getting myself to go to bed early proved to be a much more challenging task. I sleep at 2-3 a.m. every night due to the numerous proofreads and formatting that has to be done for the KG University report and also the resource building for the school. I was on course for the past two days which means that I can only work on the full-length answers for the case-studies questions at night. While on course, I was dozing off right in front of the speaker but I guess he was understanding enough to not reprimand me or wake me up. :(

Tonight, I really have to force myself to go to bed by 11 a.m. so as to recover the sleep lost during the past few days.

And the surprise that awaits me in the morning is .......

"I realise that even though there isn't 4 seasons in Singapore, we do experience some kind of daylight savings. As we are located slightly below the equator, our "seasons" resemble that of the Southern Hemisphere countries like Australia and New Zealand. So the day gets much longer in December. The sky gets bright by 7 a.m. and it only gets dark at 7.30 p.m. It definitely wasn't so when in June!"

I wonder if everyone actually knows about this because apparently, I wasn't aware of it although I myself am a Singaporean and have been living on this tiny red dot for the past 23 years.

Blessing in Disguise.?

2.5 years ago, I was brooding over the the indication column for an overseas education on my scholarship application form.

2.5 years later, I finally appreciate the fact that I had left that column blank, incidentally.

I was randomly chatting over lunch with a friend who's an EMS scholar. She had just returned from Australia upon finishing her honours. Like me, we all have to live out our bond.

If I had opted for an overseas scholarship (I'm not saying that I'll be able to get it for sure), I would be bonded for 6 years.

Freedom means so much to **. 6 years could be short to some while not others. It's all about perspectives.

Now that the future is painted a clearer picture more than before, a blessing in disguise is the perfect saying for it. :)

Silly Dream

Terrorized by having to wake up in the early hours.
I had the most silliest dream ever.
I dreamt that I was back in Paris to buy the Galliera PM bag in Ebene.
Was fatigue the cause
Or was I missing Paris too much?

簡單的哲理

說好話，做好事，存好心。
聽似簡單，辦卻別扭。
平凡的快樂，真誠的感動，淡淡的幸福。
今天，你擁有了嗎？

幸福的時光

一直揹在肩上的夢想 像不熄滅卻靠不近的星光
學偽裝 學爭搶 如果就該這樣 又為什麼會感傷

我只能夠抱緊妳的害怕 因為我也沒有解答
也許人的心都要被擠壓 再透過掙扎去長大

安靜的眼淚 滴在樓頂的地上 加蓋的夢能蓋在哪
黑暗暝 落雨聲 鳥仔天光猶原會唱歌
想回到那年幸福的時光 口袋裡是滿滿的希望

再難也敢去闖 只因有你在身旁 風中才不像流浪
攜帶著那段幸福的時光 平靜每個失眠的晚上

緊握一種信仰 不要翅膀要堅強 雪花融在眼裡 看見火花

每次出發最喜歡坐靠窗 想著未來看著遠方
現實和想像多麼不一樣 好奇真相要有膽量

安靜的眼淚 滴在樓頂的地上 加蓋的夢能蓋在哪
黑暗暝 落雨聲 鳥仔天光猶原會唱歌

想回到那年幸福的時光 口袋裡是滿滿的希望
再難也敢去闖 只因有你在身旁 風中才不像流浪
攜帶著那段幸福的時光 平靜每個失眠的晚上
緊握一種信仰 不要翅膀要堅強 雪花融在眼裡 看見火花

我最幸福的時光，仍然深深刻在记忆里。。。